Suspended..what to do??

[buddhabelly]

Recently, I got suspended from my sorority for alcohol. The police charged me with public intoxication. The police (from my university) contacted my chapter advisor and she suspended me over the phone. She basically suspended me for breaking the law...I'm 18. Right now, all I wanna do is get back in. It's eating me up inside. I don't know what to do. Is it possible to get back into a sorority through appeal (or other options) after being suspended for alcoholic reasons?

I had a good reputation in the sorority and have never gotten into trouble for anything. My record was clean.

One of my 'sisters' emailed her and she said that my actions were inexcusable.

I'm losing all hope..I don't know what to do please help.

[knight_shadow]

You would know the inner workings of your sorority better than we would. Read your constitution and bylaws. There are usually codes or guidelines that say you need to obey local and national laws.

I've never heard of an advisor suspending someone before (in my experience, it's been national/regional board members), and I've never heard of someone being suspended over the phone.

[twinkle555]

Originally Posted by knight_shadow

You would know the inner workings of your sorority better than we would. Read your constitution and bylaws. There are usually codes or guidelines that say you need to obey local and national laws.

I've never heard of an advisor suspending someone before (in my experience, it's been national/regional board members), and I've never heard of someone being suspended over the phone.

I would definitely try to talk to the advisor and the chapter president and see if her suspending you over the phone is even allowed. I think in most chapters the chapter as a whole votes on these kinds of things. But Im not sure, your chapter might be different, but you'll never know unless you take action. Don't be surprised if your still suspended later on,underage drinking is a pretty big deal, especially if the police charged you with it. Good luck.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by buddhabelly

Recently, I got suspended from my sorority for alcohol. The police charged me with public intoxication. The police (from my university) contacted my chapter advisor and she suspended me over the phone. She basically suspended me for breaking the law...I'm 18. Right now, all I wanna do is get back in. It's eating me up inside. I don't know what to do. Is it possible to get back into a sorority through appeal (or other options) after being suspended for alcoholic reasons?

I had a good reputation in the sorority and have never gotten into trouble for anything. My record was clean.

One of my 'sisters' emailed her and she said that my actions were inexcusable.

Questions:

Was it only campus police who were aware of the situation? Or were local authorities involved, as well?

Was there a meeting between the advisor and any of the chapter members before you received the phone call? I would think that at the very least, there should have been a discussion amongst the advisor and chapter president, if for no other reason than to inform at least one chapter member of the disciplinary action taking place (assuming that the advisor has the authority to suspend a sister without chapter approval).

You say you were "suspended"... Indefinitely? Or were you given a specfic length of time for your punishment?

And as already mentioned, I would assume there is a procedure/paperwork to go along with the suspension of a member. Do you know if anything has been carried out as of yet?

[Nanners52674]

I'd also check your policies for any possible grounds for your suspension. Were you given a specific citation from the Const/bylaws about what you broke?

I know my sorority has a policy specifically related to underage drinking.

[LadyLonghorn]

When you're facing criminal charges, I think the last thing in the world you should be worried about is your sorority membership. You have much bigger things to worry about right now.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by LadyLonghorn

When you're facing criminal charges, I think the last thing in the world you should be worried about is your sorority membership. You have much bigger things to worry about right now.

Seriously.

And whatever happened to discretion?

Why is it that people feel like it's okay to discuss sorority disciplinary actions on public message boards? Whether you name your sorority/chapter or not, I just really find it inappropriate, as I am certain all discussions of member discipline are supposed to be private in most orgs.

[cbm]

I remember my chapter having some kind of rule that if we got arrested we were kicked out. Good luck.

We have less than 1000 students and extremely friendly security guards. Like you said, the point is that something shady is going on. Our security wouldn't even know who our advisor is.

[kddani]

Originally Posted by violet_sigma3

Like you said, the point is that something shady is going on.

.


I'd say that chances are good that we're not getting the whole story from the OP.

We so rarely do with these types of posts.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by buddhabelly

Yeah, I'm definitely going to appeal, but I just don't think the National Council will reverse it..it says that the appeal may be denied only by a four-sevenths (4/7) vote of the National Council. It's just not looking too good for me...

That means 4 of the 7 members of the National Council have to vote against your reinstatement for the suspension to stand. Another way of putting it is that if you can convince 4 of the 7 members to revoke the suspension, you're no longer suspended.

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

And I highly doubt there is any national organization that has written in their constitution, "An advisor can remove any member from the chapter if he/she thinks she is justified in doing so." But hey, I could be wrong.

Well, it's not quite worded that way, and it's the bylaws, not the constitution, but you are.

Originally Posted by honeychile

I agree with those who said that you need to worry more about your court date than your suspension. . . .

Once your court date is over, then start making plans for setting the record straight with your sorority. Until then, you have no reasonable excuse for your I/natl office to want you to represent your sorority.

I agree that the legal problems are by far the most important problems. But I know which GLO she's talking about too, and if she follows this advice, then she loses. The bylaws in questions say that an appeal of the suspension must be made within 4 weeks from the date that the advisor notifies her that she has been suspended. She can't wait until the legal process is over without waiving her appeal rights on the suspension.

So she's going to have to go with convincing them that she's learned her lesson and that this will never happen again. Whether she also wants to argue that the advisor didn't even give her a chance to explain, or that probation would be a more appropriate discipline, is up to her.

[AOII Angel]

I agree with what others have said....forget your sorority membership issues until you finish with your legal issues. I doubt anyone will vote to reverse this decision until your case is settled for good. If you are acquitted, you'd have a much better chance of changing the suspension. Actually being convicted of these charges may make the point moot.

[srmom]

Buddhabelly, sorry to hear of your situation. As a mom who's gotten that collect call from a county jail at 4 in the morning that my son was arrested for an MIP and PI, I can empathize.

From a legal standpoint, at least in the state of Texas, a first offense MIP and PI are a class C misdemeanor, which is like a speeding ticket or jaywalking offense. My son had to take an alcohol awareness class and do 30 hours of community service to have the arrest expunged from his record. This is the avenue I would have you explore with the DA if I was your mother. THEN, be aware that any subsequent arrest, the penalty and consequences increase, SO - NO MORE MIP's!!

As for the sorority, I agree that it is probably a matter of bad timing... The chapter's issues with nationals has put them under a microscope and an issue such as yours might be all it takes to bring down the house. I'm sorry for your plight, but you may be out of luck.

Good luck, and know that this is not the end of the world, you have a full life to look forward to, including the rest of your college years. Eventually, this will be a blip on the radar

[kiteflyersmom]

Originally Posted by srmom

Buddhabelly, sorry to hear of your situation. As a mom who's gotten that collect call from a county jail at 4 in the morning that my son was arrested for an MIP and PI, I can empathize.

From a legal standpoint, at least in the state of Texas, a first offense MIP and PI are a class C misdemeanor, which is like a speeding ticket or jaywalking offense. My son had to take an alcohol awareness class and do 30 hours of community service to have the arrest expunged from his record. This is the avenue I would have you explore with the DA if I was your mother. THEN, be aware that any subsequent arrest, the penalty and consequences increase, SO - NO MORE MIP's!!

As for the sorority, I agree that it is probably a matter of bad timing... The chapter's issues with nationals has put them under a microscope and an issue such as yours might be all it takes to bring down the house. I'm sorry for your plight, but you may be out of luck.

Good luck, and know that this is not the end of the world, you have a full life to look forward to, including the rest of your college years. Eventually, this will be a blip on the radar

Buddah-

As a mom, I hope you read every word of Srmom's post and take it to heart. You should reread the last part, in particular. I hope that it works out for you with the sorority. If not, use it as a learning experience. Bad decisions result in negative consequences- but this is not the end of the world. Good luck.

[Shellfish]

I think I can tell which sorority you're in, and according to the bylaws (found online) there's an appeal process. Why not give it a try? Just be very humble, and act quickly.